Keppel’s Column and Caesar’s Camp

 

Keppel's Column

Shortly after my walk from Rawmarsh to Swinton, when I was dismayed to discover that numerous saplings were growing out of the brickwork of the Rockingham Kiln, I contacted the Rotherham District Civic Society for their views and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it had received funding for its restoration – along with Catcliffe Glass Cone and Keppel’s Column.

 

An isometric section of Keppel's Column

With a bit of research, I discovered that the proposed restoration tied in with Collaborative Connections, a community engagement project aiming to bring together communities, artists and heritage experts, with the Rotherham Museums, Arts and Heritage service being the co-ordinator.

 

A cross section and vertical section of Keppel's Column

When working on short contracts as a geologist at Clifton Park Museum, I had attended meetings about the future of Keppel’s Column with the manager, Steve Blackbourn, and having established a leading building restoration company in London and possessing specialist expertise in stone identification and matching, I could be considered as a heritage expert.

 

An article describing the regeneration of Clifton Park

On this occasion, however, I was more interested in the idea of writing an article about its proposed restoration. After all, as a freelance ‘journalist’, my work had been published in stone trade and professional journals in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Russia – including articles about Rotherham for the German StonePlus magazine.

 

An article describing Rotherham town centre

Having seen the market for this work vanish after the global recession in 2008, I thought that it might be a long shot to get my writing work back off the ground, especially when the latest news that I had seen appeared to indicate that work had already commenced on site.

 

A view from Admirals Crest

Not to be deterred, however, after my brief investigation of the unlisted historic buildings in Rotherham, I decided to go and look at the progress at Keppel’s Column for myself and combine it with a brief investigation of Caesar’s Camp in nearby Scholes Coppice.

 

Keppel's Column

 

When I arrived, expecting to see a full scaffold, I was surprised that work had not begun and, talking to a couple of late middle-aged women who were walking their dogs – who said that they liked the idea of the folly being restored but did not want to be disturbed by visitors – it seemed that the attempt to persuade the bats to leave their roost had not succeeded.

 

An information panel

Encouraged by the fact that building work on site had not yet started, I called the project officer on my mobile phone, to briefly explain my professional background and to say that I would like to write an article about its restoration and, if possible, be introduced to the contractor that had been appointed to do the work - just in case they might require some help with finding a stone "to match the existing as closely as possible".

 

A view up Keppel's Column

 

Much to my chagrin, my enquiry was met with complete indifference and by the time the phone call ended, I was left with the distinct impression that unless I signed up as a community volunteer - even though I actually live in Treeton - I would get no further.

 

A detail of stainless steel strapping used to restrain bulging masonry

Feeling quite insulted, I quickly walked down to Scholes Coppice to see if I could find Caesar’s Camp or evidence of ancient ironstone mining, as mentioned in the comments section of the Historic England listing. With heavy rain looking like a certainty, I didn’t deviate from the path and seeing only a ridge like section of ground used by trial bikes, I decided to call it a day and come back when I was in a much better mood.

 

A view in Scholes Coppice

Having managed to get back to the bus stop on Upper Wortley Road without the heavens opening, I discovered that there wasn’t a bus for another hour and I decided to walk down to Kimberworth. On the way, I found another cast iron sculpture by Marcela Livingston, entitled Morris Miner, which put a smile back on my face.

 

Morris Miner